From Strangers to Lovers
by armybro8
Summary: Prompt: "Daryl wants to be happy about Glenn and Maggie's baby, but all he can think of is what happened to Lori. He confides in Jesus."
1. What If

Prompt came from ashekeh on tumblr: **"Daryl wants to be happy about Glenn and Maggie's baby, but all he can think of is what happened to Lori. He confides in Jesus."**

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The sun was rising beautifully over the sea of trees, bathing the entire area pink in a warm summer glow. Daryl hadn't been able to sleep, so in the middle of the night he'd stepped outside to climb one of the taller oak trees and just sit there, enjoying the low chirping of crickets and cicadas. He wasn't sure how long he'd been up there, but he had stress-smoked nearly an entire pack of cigarettes over the course of the night.

"How's the view?" called a familiar voice. Of course he'd found him.

Daryl looked down over his shoulder, making eye contact with the longhaired man. "Not bad," he commented before looking back over the horizon. He'd hoped the other man would lose interest, but apparently Daryl's nonchalance made him more interested, and a moment later he felt the branches shake beneath him.

"The hell are you doin'?"

"I want to get a view too, can't see over the walls." Unsurprisingly, Jesus was a natural at climbing trees; he was at nearly everything he did. In just a few minutes, Jesus was on the branch adjacent to Daryl's, facing out towards the morning light.

Silence ensued for several long moments, then Daryl felt something nudge his arm. He looked down to see Jesus had bumped him with a green apple, his favorite.

"Breakfast?"

Daryl tried to give him a menacing look, but his mouth betrayed him and twitched into a small smile. "Thanks," he said before taking a crisp bite. His stomach had been in knots during dinner so he hadn't eaten much, but his fast was beginning to catch up with him. He was starving now.

They fell silent again, save for the occasional crunch of an apple and the rustle of a protein bar wrapper. Knowing Daryl wouldn't be the one to bring up whatever was bothering him himself, Jesus attempted to coax it out of him.

"I'm guessing you've been up here all night?"

"Maybe," Daryl mumbled, mouth half-full of fruit.

"Are you gonna tell me why?"

"…" Daryl made a grumbling noise, but no words came out. When just the core was left, the archer let it drop to the ground under them. It was so tempting to launch it over the wall, but they needed the seeds.

When he was finished his protein bar, Jesus turned towards Daryl and looked into his eyes, which were currently still watching the sunrise. "It's Maggie, right?"

About a week ago, Glenn, Maggie, Enid, and Daryl had made the journey from Alexandria to the Hilltop to prepare for Maggie's upcoming delivery. If Doctor Carson was right about how far along she was, Maggie's due date was today, and she could go into labor at any time. Everyone in town was thrilled for the birth since it was the first one they'd ever experienced there, plus it gave them something new to think and talk about. They'd even thrown a small party the night before, where the couple received an adorable blue baby blanket that'd been knitted by one of the residents, amongst other small items and toys for the baby.

Amongst all the buzzing excitement, Daryl couldn't help but worry about her and in turn, Glenn. He just couldn't shake what happened to Lori just a few years before, which left Rick unstable for a long time. What if the same were to happen to Glenn and Maggie? He couldn't stand to think about it.

A few stray tears unexpectedly streamed down Daryl's face. He quickly wiped them away with the sleeves of his dark jacket and hoped Jesus hadn't seen.

"Why are you so worried? Carson is well trained. We can handle whatever happens."

Daryl brought his legs down so that they were swinging off the edge and crossed his arms. He faced Jesus now but he kept his head down, staring at their feet and leaning up against the warm bark.

"Things can still go wrong. We had everything ready for when Lori was ready to give birth to Judith. But…" Daryl leaned his temple against the trunk. "There was a breach, we all got split up. Maggie and Carl were the only ones 'ere when she went into labor…they got locked in a utility room…she wouldn't stop bleedin'. Maggie had to deliver her. Carl had to put his own mom down."

Daryl finally looked up to see Jesus' sympathetic face. "I'm sorry," the other man muttered, having never heard the story before. Now that Daryl's legs weren't taking up the rest of the branch, Jesus was able to move over next to the other man. Surprisingly, Daryl didn't comment when Jesus put an arm around the archer's shoulders, bringing them closer together. "I'm sorry that happened."

Daryl found an unusual comfort in Jesus' arm around him and decided not to push him away for it. He also didn't want to be responsible if the idiot fell off and broke an arm or something. "I just want Hershel Jr. to have his mom around."

Jesus' hand squeezed his bicep and he gave him a reassuring nod. "He will, I'm sure of it. Maggie is strong, she can handle whatever happens. And we'll keep this place safe during it."

Leaves rustled above their heads and birds sang around them as the two sat quietly in the tree. The morning air was cool against their skin but where their bodies touched warmth spread through them. Without even thinking about it, Daryl moved his head from the trunk to rest it on Jesus' shoulder. He'd felt calmer than he had in days and exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks. He was actually starting to doze when he heard Glenn's voice calling out.

"Daryl?" Glenn's voice progressively got closer and more urgent the more he called out. "Daryl?!"

"Glenn?" Daryl called back. When he did Jesus retracted his arm and shifted away to normal distance. "'M up here!"

A minute or so later Glenn appeared near the base of the tree with an excited albeit anxious expression. "I think Maggie's water just broke, she's going into labor! We need you!"

"Shit, I'm comin', you get back to her!"

Glenn nodded and ran back to the main house, where they'd already prepared a proper delivery room.

As Daryl was preparing to climb down, Jesus quickly leaned over and grabbed his head, kissing the side of his mouth where his lips and cheek met. "Good luck," Jesus said as he pulled away, smiling.

Unsure of what had just happened, Daryl decided to ignore him and continued to climb down, suddenly feeling warm all over. He couldn't shake the fuzzy feeling even once his feet hit the ground. All Daryl could think of as he ran towards the house was how Jesus could be so nice and reassuring yet so goddamn _weird_ all at the same time.'

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Reviews are always appreciated! I don't use beta readers so I apologize for any grammatical errors. If you find any just go ahead and tell me so I can fix it.


	2. After

I wasn't initially going to make this a multi-chapter fic, but I got several requests for a second chapter and figured why not; I'd like to see what happens too. Even started on the third and fourth chapters...

After a lot of screaming, sweat, and tears, he was finally here. Hershel Rhee Greene Jr. Although it had taken nearly twelve hours, the delivery was a landmark victory for the Hilltop. Their doctors had treated minor wounds but had never undertaken a major surgery and as a result they weren't sure how well they could handle something of that caliber. Maggie's successful childbirth had established the Hilltop's healthcare as the best in the 'new world', and now they'd be able to advertise that to the other colonies in exchange for their goods. All in all, the day had been great for everyone.

Now, Maggie was resting peacefully in her full-sized bed, with Glenn holding her as they slept. Almost as soon as Hershel had been born Enid had fallen asleep on the recliner in the corner, wiped out from assisting the doctor and keeping her new-found sister calm. With Hershel Jr. napping in his arms, Daryl was the only one left awake in the room.

The archer leaned against the window pane, staring blankly out over the Hilltop from the second floor of the Barrington House. They had a bassinet prepared but frankly Daryl didn't mind holding the little bundle until someone else woke up and was ready to hold him again. There was something comforting and calming about holding babies, Daryl had noticed it the first time he held lil' asskicker. They were so warm and soft and had complete trust in whoever was holding them; Daryl was content to stand there in the sunlight with Hershel forever. Unfortunately, the person who knocked softly on the door had other plans for him.

Shifting Hershel to his left arm, Daryl walked over to the door and opened it slowly. The old house was notoriously creaky and he didn't want to wake his sleeping family. Daryl had expected it to be Doctor Carson checking up on Maggie and Hershel, but he shouldn't have been so surprised to see the longhaired hippie standing there instead.

"I saw Carson outside and thought I'd check in. How is she doing?" Jesus asked, voice soft but still above a whisper.

Daryl put a finger to his lips and spoke very softly. "She's doing fine, so is he," Daryl said, looking down to the baby's peaceful, pink face.

"Hershel Jr., huh?" Jesus asked, reaching out to touch his tiny hand.

"Yeah."

"Hershel… was Maggie's dad, right?"

Daryl nodded as he thought back fondly on the old man, hobbling along as tending to the gardens at the prison. "He was a good man," he mumbled, shaking his head to try and get the sad images out of his head. Today was supposed to be a happy day and he wanted to keep it that way.

"Jesus?" Maggie suddenly spoke up, voice thick with sleep. When they looked back to her she was yawning and attempting to sit up more in the bed without stirring her husband.

"Hey Maggie, how are you feeling?"

"Tired but otherwise great," she replied in a soft voice, the corners of her mouth turning upwards.

"Good, I'm glad. I know Daryl was really worried about you," Jesus shot a smug grin at Daryl before looking back at Maggie.

Maggie chuckled knowingly. "I knew he would be; he puts on that tough front but we can all see through it." She glared at Daryl with a smile that took any trace of malice out of her eyes. Daryl watched her but didn't say anything until Hershel shifted and made a whimpering noise in his arms.

"I think he might be hungry," Daryl said quickly to get the attention off himself.

"Think you're right," Maggie murmured, focusing her gaze to Hershel as Daryl handed him to her.

"We'll give you some privacy," Jesus said and the two men turned to leave.

Without saying anything, Daryl decided to step outside the house for a while, not at all surprised when Jesus followed him onto the porch. He reached into his vest pockets and pulled out a red and white pack, followed by a lighter.

"t's like a damn dog following me," he commented to himself, loud enough that Jesus could easily hear him. With a small _click_ he began lighting his cigarette.

"It's a nice day, didn't know it was a crime to enjoy it," Jesus retorted, though his tone was joking. He took a step down one of the stairs before sitting down on it, rolling up the sleeves of his white buttoned shirt.

For several minutes the only sound that came from either of them was the drone of Daryl blowing out smoke. After several minutes, Daryl had gathered enough courage to whisper, "Why'd you do it?"

Having been caught in the middle of a daydream, it took a moment for Jesus to register that Daryl had said anything at all. "Hmm?"

Daryl spoke a bit louder the second time. "Why'd you do it?"

Now that Jesus was alert he knew exactly what Daryl was referring to, but he wanted to hear the other man say it himself. "You'll have to be more specific."

Daryl sighed heavily and took a seat next to the other man on the stairs, mouth partially covered by the hand holding his cigarette.

"Why'd you…kiss me?"

The 'k' word had barely been above a whisper, but Jesus decided to answer nonetheless.

"Why do you think I did?"

The archer took a long final drag before snuffing the cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe. As he blew out, he answered, "I really don't know, because you're really fuckin' weird."

"I really don't think I'm that weird, but," Jesus said as he turned towards Daryl, "I kissed you…because I like you, Daryl."

They maintained eye contact for a few seconds before Daryl smirked and turned his head so he was gazing out towards the far wall. "Aw'right…so what's the punchline?"

Jesus furrowed his brow, slightly offended that he wasn't being taken seriously, but also confused by it. "Punchline?" When Daryl didn't answer, he continued, "There's no punchline."

After a moment Daryl turned to him, eyes narrow and untrusting. They shared each other down as Jesus asked, "Do you not believe me?"

"No…why…why would you like me?

Jesus cocked his head to the side, wondering why the other man simply wouldn't believe his admission. "Do…do you really want me to answer 'why' I like you?"

Daryl didn't reply, but Jesus didn't figure he would. The longhaired man took a deep breath before continuing. "Well, you probably won't believe me, but, you're attractive, for starters. You've got nice arms and hair. Aside from looks, you're loyal to your family and would do anything to protect them, even though you're not related by blood, which is admirable. You're so strong yet solemn and mysterious and I want to learn why. More than anything, though…it's because you're a good person with a good heart."

Unsurprisingly, silence followed, but only for a few seconds before Daryl turned his entire body towards Jesus, resting his back against the plastic railing. "So, you like me. …And…that means…?"

"…I…want to get to know you better?"

"Then why'd you kiss me?"

Jesus rose an eyebrow. "Are you really that dense?"

"What's that suppose'to mean?"

Sighing, Jesus scratched the back of his sandy head. "I guess you're really not used to this kind of thing, are you? Because I _like like_ you, Daryl." Jesus shrugged and attempted to look nonchalant. "That's why I kissed you. I wasn't sure how you'd respond because I could never get a clear read on if you were into guys or girls, so I just took a shot in the dark. I was hoping you'd be willing to give it a chance, at the very least." The longhaired man's cheeks were a deep shade of pink as he looked away from Daryl towards the cloudless blue sky.

Having just been confessed to, Daryl's cheeks mirrored Jesus' in color. He'd never been confessed to before, by anyone, so Daryl wasn't really sure how he was supposed to respond or react. The brunet started to open his mouth but when he couldn't organize his thoughts, he snapped it shut and looked at his shoes. This occurred several times until he finally just said,

"I, uh…I-I…I dunno."

Jesus nodded in understanding. Since Daryl was clearly not used to this sort of thing, he didn't want to overwhelm him, but he also didn't want to give up hope just yet.

"Just think about it?"

Daryl nodded, still watching his feet. When Jesus got up to return to the Barrington house he briefly touched Daryl's arm and the archer nearly jumped out of his skin. Once he was left alone with just his thoughts, Daryl darted up and ran towards the only place he could truly be left alone within the oppressive walls.


End file.
